Automobile-signal.



AUTGMGBHE 819ML.

Hummm: man F5514, 1915.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

v. Maul, Mum

UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER MCLREN, QF WHTTER, CALIFORNIA.

Application led .February T 0 all 'whom 'it on @y concern Be it known that l. PETER McLain-1u. a. subject ot theI King ot Great i3 itain. resid-- ingr at Whittier, in the county of Los ngeles, State of California, have invented a. new and useful utouwhile-Signal, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the signaling art, and the first object of the invention is to provide a. signal which may be placed on any sort of a5 conveyance, such as an autos mobile, or other vehicle, boat` airship, or the like, for the purpose of indicating to other convcyances a proposed change in direction or diminution of speed of the conveyance upon which the signals are placed.

A second object of the invention is 'to provide means whereby the signals may be ac tuated from the retarding means of 'the convoyance.

More specifically, a third object is to provide an automobile or other conveyance with signals arranged on either side thereof. and to provide means whereby the signals ou one side may be displayed when the automobile is turned to the lright and whereby the signals on the other side may be displayed when the vehicle turned to the lett.

A fourth object of the invention to provide means whereby all the signals mentioned above may be displayed when the brake or retarding means ot the automobile or conveyance is applied or whereby al' the signals mentioned above may be displayed just before the brake is applied.

The fifth object of the invention is to provide mechanism whereby the third and fourth objects mentiond above/may be simultaneously accomplished, all the signals being displayed when the brake is applied or just before the brake is applied., the signals on one side remaining displayed iii the steering means is turned during the time the brake is applied.

While the invention is shown applied to an automobile and controlled electrically, and while a specificy form of signal is illus?l trated and described, my` invention. has a'. broader application than this and it must be understood that it can beappliedwto any sort of a body, the direction. and speed of which are human controlled, and. that .it can be actuated either electrically or mechan' ically, than that specifically illustrated may be ein ployed in the invention.l

Specncaton of Letters Patent.

F fl zu,

and that Various types" of signal other I l mobile is provided with a steering column this column ratente Dec. 21, 191

1915. Serial N0.10,348.

A specific form and application o'l my invention is illustrated in the drawing in which- Figure l. is a plan view showing that form of my invention applied to portions of an automobile, certain parts of the automobile being broken away or shown in section for the purpose of making the operation and construction of the invention more plain. Fig, 2 is an elevation, similarly illustrated, of this embodiment of my invention. Fig. 3 is av section through the speciiic signal shown in FigQ on the plane fc3-m3 ot Fig. Fig. 4 is a diagram of connections of a preferred method of connecting the signals.

In these drawings, ll is an automobile having rear fenders l2 and 13 on which are placed signals ll and l5. Each of the rear wheels 1G is provided with a brake pulley 17 surrounded by a band brake 18, one end ot which is lined to a pin 19 suitably secured to the frame of the machine, and the other end of which is secured by a pin 2O to an actuating rod 21 which extends Jforward and is pivoted on a pin 22 secured in the brake lever TheV brake lever 2S is xcd to a brake lever shaft 2d and is provided with a pedal Q5 which projects through the floor 26 of the automobile and which is operated by pressing forwardly thereon in the direction of 'the arrow 27.

For the purpose of actuating the signals .la and l5 a brake switch 30 and a steering switch 3l are provided. The brake switch 30 consists et a pair of stationary brake contacts and 33 which are mounted on an insulating block 34 which is fixed to a cross member 35 of the frame of the automobile. A fiber block 36 is mounted on a metal plate 37 which'slides-in metal guides 38 secured to the insulating'block 34. The fiber block carries a. movable brake Contact 40. The metal plate 37 is secured by means of a pin al" to a. rod 42 which'is secured by a pin 48 to the brake-lever 23, the rod 43 being adso that the lrelative posijustable aste length tion of the Contact 40 and the brake lever 23 4can befvaried ,as will hereinafter be eX- plazined The relation of the parts is such .that 'wl-ien; the pedal 25 is pressed in the direction of the arrow 27 the contact 40 is forced into simultaneous engagement with bothjo the contacts 32 and 38 According' to the usual practice the autobeing connected Vthrough a worm gear and segment with the steering shaft l. The worin gear and segment are located in a case 52, to the side of which is secured a fiber block 53, this iiber block carryingr stationary steering contacts 5l and A movable steeing contact 5U is mounted on a fiber block 57 secured by means of a metal 58 to the steering shaft 51, the relation of the parts being such that the movable steering contact 56 is centrally located between the stationary contacts il and 55 when the wheels of the automobiic are pointing straight ahead.

Bti

The signals ll and 15 are exact duplicates of each other and consist of a casing which may be provided if desired with suitable doors, not shown, to give access to the interior thereof. Electric 'lamps 101 are located in projections 102 formed on either end of the casing 100, these projections be- 'ing provided with glass members 103 which may be plain or colored as desired. A solenoid 104; is secured in the bottom of the casing 100 and is provided with a core 105 which is connected by means of a short in` sulated link 106 to the short end of a forked lever 107. The lever is mounted on a pin 10S carried in a suitable support, and has two ends 109 which extend down on either side of the solenoid 104 and connect by means of short links 110 with forked ends 111 of a disk 112. The edges of the disk 112 slide between guides 113 fixed on the inside of the casing 100. (ine of the lights 101 may be omitted if desired so that the illuminated signal can be seen only from the rear or front of the automobile.

The method of connecting the apparatus is shown in Fig. 4, in` which a battery has one terminal 126 connected by means of a wire 127 with one ,terminal of both lamps 101 and one terminal of both solenoids 1.0-1. The other terminal of one of the lamps 101 and one of the solenoids 104 is connected by means of a wire 128 with the stationary steering contact 55 and the stationary brake Contact 32.; The other terminals of the other solenoid 104 and the other lamp 101 is connected through a wire 129 with the stationary steering contact 5ft and the stationary rake contact 38. The movable steering contact 56 and the movable brake contact 40 are connected through the wire 130 with the opposite terminal of the battery 125.

The method of operation ofthe invention is as follows: T` e parts being in the position shown in the drawing and the automobile moving in a forward direction, the operator starts to apply his brakes by pressing downwardly on the pedal 25. The rod 42 is so-adjusted that 4before any considerable application of the brake takes place the movable brake' contact 40 contacts with the stationary brake 'contacts 32 and 33, thus establishiuafra, circuitthrough both of i-,ieapsa the solenoids 10i and the lamps 101. lli/*hen the current flows through either of the solenoids 101 tie core 105 is attracted and the lever 107'is rotated in such a manner as to lift the disk 112 into the position shown in 'dotted lines in Fig. 3, in which position it is plainly visible to Vehicles which may be following. Abthe same time circuit is established through all the lamps 101 so that light is thrown out through the glass members 103, these also being plainly visible. The operator hen continues to press downwardly on the pedal 25 thereby applyingthe brake andA stopping the vehicle. A `skilful operator will display his signals a little before applying his brake so as to give following vehicles plenty of warning. lVhen the operator releases his rake for thc purpose of going ahead the movable brake contact 40 is drawn out `of engagement with the stationary brake contacts 32 and 33 and the circuit is opened, the display 112 dropping into the casing; 100 and the lamps 101 being extinguished. Then the driver desires to turn the vehicle in either direction he turns the steering wheel, turning' the steering' column 50 and turningthe steering shaft 51 to one side or the other of the center, thereby making contact between the movable steering contact 56 and one or the other of the stationary steering contacts 54 or 55. This establishes a` circuit througlronly one of the solenoids 10i and only one of the sets of lamps 101, thus indicating that the vehicle is go ing to turn, to one side or the other. The signal is displayed and the lamp is lighted until the steeringwheel is turned back to the central position, thus causing the movable steering contact 5G to break circuit, the signal resuming' its original position. Should the operator apply his brake thus display ing both of his signals and thereafter operate his steering wheel to turn in either direction both of the signalswvill first` he displayed, one of the signals remaining up after the brake is released so that another vehicle can at nce ascertain the intention of the driver.

l claim as my invention:

1. An automobile signal comprising a casinghaving an open slot in the top thereof,

a Signal disk having forked "ends at the lower end thereof, guides secured to the inside of said casing in such a position as to n guide the forked ends of the signal disk in such a manner that the signal disk may be raised through saidv slot into a position where it is visible, and electro-magnetic means in said casing for so raising said disk.

2. An automobile signal eon'iprising aA ing having an open slot in the top the; a signal disk having forked ends at lower end thereof, guides secured to the side of said @wing 'in auch a position as te CRS- guide the forked ends of the signed disk in such a manner that the signal disk muy be raised through said slot into e position where it is visible, e lever pivoted on :i pin carried in a suitable support inside said easing, means for connecting ene erin of said lever to said signal disk, and electromagneti means for Causing said iever to lift'seid disk.

An automobile signal corni'irisinnr :i

' ing having en open slot in the on thereof,

a. signal disk v'having forked ends at the lower end thereof, guides secured to the inside oi" seid casing; in suoli` :i position as to guide the forked ends of the Signal disk sucli e manner that the signal disk may be raised through said slof; into a position where it is visible, a lever pivoted on a pin Carried in a suitable support inside seid eas ing, and having forked ends extendingl 'to either eide of easing :ind neer said d' snort links connectingr said forked ends Suid lever with said disk, and eleetre-inegnetie means 'for actuating seid lever te rznse said disk.

4.-. An automobile signal comprising u ing having :in open slot in the top thereof, :i signal disk having forked ends at the lower end thereof, guides secured to the inside oi seid casing in such a position este guide lie forked ends of the signal disk in sneii .i manner that 'the signal disk may ne rn'C d through said slot into a position en ed in i suitable support inside smid casing. :ind having forked ends extending io either side oli' smid easing :1nd near said disk, snort linke .Connecting s"d forked ends el? seid lever with said disk, a soif.`- noid loszited inside said forked ends of said disk. zi. core in seid solenoid, and ineens for so connecting seid core to said lever that die in .emotie pull of said solenoid on said core will canse said lever to raise seid disk.

in to f nony wiiereo3 l lieve hereunto set my hund :it Los Angeles, California, this ili dey o? February, 1915.

PETER MCLAREN.

in prese.,ee eflf'iinn fl. Mimsrrnnn, Flinn) W. HARRIS.

e ii; is visible. e lever pivoted on zi pin 

